Huffman on Recruiting : Pac-12 legacy recruits plus big weekends for Cal, UCLA and Arizona State

The Hotline is delighted to provide West Coast fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Phoenix-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Jan. 30 …

Legacies for Pac-12 legacies

Want to feel old? The last few weeks on the recruiting trail should help.

Oregon is at the center of a couple of those aging moments.

Over the weekend, the Ducks landed a commitment from a Utah-based linebacker in the class of 2027: Sam Ngata, the son of former Oregon standout and NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Haloti Ngata.

The Ducks were always the frontrunners, and Ngata offered his pledge to coach Dan Lanning after taking an unofficial visit.

(At one point, his father was the highest-rated signee in Oregon history. He held that honor for 17 years, in fact, until the Ducks landed edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.)

That same day, the Ducks offered a scholarship to a Colorado-based quarterback in the class of 2028: Titus Huard, the son of former Washington and NFL quarterback Brock Huard and the nephew of former Husky quarterback Damon Huard and current USC offensive coordinator Luke Huard.

Oregon made the offer over the weekend. A few days later, Washington did the same.

Meanwhile, the son of another former Duck was in the news.

Cornerback Josiah Molden, the No. 1 prospect in Oregon in 2027 — his father, Alex, was a star for the Ducks — revealed his final six schools: Oregon, Washington, Miami, Texas, Ohio State and USC.

Notably, his brother, Elijah, is a cornerback for the LA Chargers and a former Husky.

Legacy recruiting, part II

While he’s not committed anywhere, the son of former UCLA star Maurice Jones-Drew will be back in Westwood this weekend to see his father’s alma mater.

Deuce Jones-Drew, who stars at the same school his dad attended, Concord De La Salle, was originally offered by the Bruins when DeShaun Foster was in charge.

Running backs coach AJ Steward, one of the two holdovers from the Foster era to new coach Bob Chesney’s staff, has continued to recruit Jones-Drew. He will attend the Bruin Elite Junior Day on Saturday.

Chesney’s big weekend

The aforementioned Bruin Elite day will mark the first major recruiting event for Chesney since being hired by the Bruins after leading James Madison to the College Football Playoff.

Chesney will be introduced at the UCLA basketball game against Indiana, which happened to hire Chesney’s predecessor at JMU (Google him).

UCLA expects a slew of top prospects on campus. In addition to Jones-Drew, the Bruins will host current Ohio State quarterback commit Brady Edmunds along with Dane Weber, the dual-threat quarterback from the Inland Empire who Chesney went to watch on Thursday.

Cal’s Premier Day

Speaking of big recruiting events, Cal will host its massive Premier Day on Saturday, and first-year coach Tosh Lupoi could not have asked for a better group of visitors.

He has the No. 1 player in California (and the No. 1 athlete nationally), Honor Faalav’e-Johnson from San Diego, coming to Berkeley.

The Bears will also welcome the No. 2 player in the country in 2028 (and the No. 1 defensive player nationally), Jalanie George from Arizona.

Cal will also welcome its first commit to the class of 2027, Giovanni Hodge from Sacramento, to campus.

Hodge plays for former Cal standout Syd’Quan Thompson, the co-head coach of Grant High School. It was his brother, Shaq Thompson, who committed to play for Lupoi after he was hired away from Cal to join Washington’s coaching staff — a move that infuriated Bears fans for years. So there is a long history between Lupoi and Thompson, and now the Bears are planting stakes at Grant.

Other notable names scheduled to visit Cal include the top defensive recruit in Northern California, edge rusher Troy Bowens, and four-star quarterback Sione Kaho, the younger brother of current NFL linebacker Ale Kaho, who Lupoi recruited to Alabama.

Sun Devils heat check

With Kenny Dillingham signing an extension to stay at his alma mater, Arizona State has a massive visit weekend set themselves.

The Sun Devils will welcome the top 2027 in-state recruits: Basha High School teammates Jake Hildebrand, who played offensive line in the Navy All-American Bowl, and running back Noah Roberts, who played in the Polynesian Bowl.

More importantly, they’ll have a major legacy of their own on campus: 2028 receiver Roye Oliver III, the All-American who swept every major Arizona Player of the Year award as a sophomore. His father, RJ, played for the Sun Devils.

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